Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume Ii Part 30

Then the aged Vainamoinen Pondered deeply and reflected, 160 "Not as man should he be reckoned Who retreats upon his pathway."

Like a pike in lake then plunging, Powan-like in sluggish river, Through the sound he swam right quickly, Speedily the strait he traversed, And he moved one foot, a second, And he reached the sh.o.r.e of Pohja.

Then spoke out the sons of Pohja, And the evil army shouted: 170 "Go into the yard of Pohja,"

And on this the yard he entered.

Then exclaimed the sons of Pohja, And the evil army shouted: "Enter now the house of Pohja."

And on this the house he entered, On the floor his foot he planted, Grasped he the door-handle firmly, Forced his way into the dwelling, And beneath the roof he entered, 180 There the men the mead were drinking, And the honey-drink imbibing.

All the men with swords were girded, And the heroes aimed their weapons At the head of Vainamoinen, Thus to slay Suvantolainen.

Then they questioned the intruder In the very words that follow: "What's your news, you wretched fellow, What's your need, O swimming hero?" 190

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "Of the moon are curious tidings, Of the sun are wondrous tidings.

Where is now the sun imprisoned, Whither has the moon been taken?"

Answered then the sons of Pohja, And the evil army answered: "Thus it is the sun is hidden, Sun is hidden, moon imprisoned, 200 In the stones of many colours, In the rocks as hard as iron, And from this, escape they cannot, And release shall never reach them."

Then the aged Vainamoinen Answered in the words that follow: "If the sun from rock ascends not, Nor the moon from rocky mountain, Let us join in closest conflict, Let us grasp our trusty sword-blades." 210

Sword they drew, and tried their sword-blades, Drew from out the sheaths their weapons; At the point the moon was s.h.i.+ning, On the hilt the sun was s.h.i.+ning, On the back a horse was standing, At the k.n.o.b a cat was mewing.

After this the swords they measured, And they thus compared their weapons, And the sword of aged Vaino Was a little trifle longer, 220 Longer, as a grain of barley, As the width of straw-stalk longer.

Out into the yard they hastened, On the gra.s.s to meet in conflict, And the aged Vainamoinen Struck a blow with lightning swiftness, Struck a blow, and struck a second, And he sheared, like roots of turnips, Off he sh.o.r.e, like heads of flax-plant, Heads of all the sons of Pohja. 230

Then the aged Vainamoinen Sought for where the moon was hidden, Likewise would release the sunlight From the rocks of varied colour, From the depths of steely mountain, From the rocks as hard as iron.

Then he walked a little distance, But a very little distance, When he saw a copse all verdant, In the copse a lovely birch-tree, 240 And a large stone block beneath it, And a rock beneath the stone block, And there were nine doors before it, In the doors were bolts a hundred.

In the stone a crack perceiving, In the rock some lines engraven, Then he drew his sword from scabbard, On the coloured stone he sc.r.a.ped it, With the sharp point of his sword-blade, With his gleaming blade he sc.r.a.ped it, 250 Till the stone in two divided, And in three he quickly split it.

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Looked into the stone all pictured; Many serpents ale were drinking, In the wort the snakes were writhing, In the coloured stone were hiding, In the cracks of liver-colour.

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Uttered then the words that follow: 260 "Thus it is the hapless Mistress Has so little ale acquired, For the snakes the ale are drinking, In the wort the snakes are writhing."

Off he cut the heads of serpents, Broke the necks of all the serpents, And he spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed him: "Never while the world existeth, From this very day henceforward, 270 Let our ale by snakes be drunken, And our malt-drink by the serpents."

Then the aged Vainamoinen, He the great primeval sorcerer, Sought with hands the doors to open, And the bolts by spells to loosen, But to hands the doors would yield not, By his spells the bolts were moved not.

Then the aged Vainamoinen Spoke his thoughts in words that follow: 280 "Man unarmed is weak as woman; Weak as frog, without a hatchet."

And at once he wended homeward, Head bowed down, in great vexation, For the moon was not recovered, Neither had the sun been captured.

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "O thou aged Vainamoinen, Wherefore didst forget to take me, As your very trusty comrade? 290 I had brought the locks to creaking, And the bars asunder broken, And released the moon for s.h.i.+ning, And had raised the sun for s.h.i.+ning."

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words that follow: "Unto spells the bolts will yield not, And the locks my magic breaks not; Strength of hands will never move them, And no strength of arm will force them." 300

To the smith's forge then he wandered, And he spoke the words which follow: "O thou smith, O Ilmarinen, Forge me now a mighty trident, And a dozen hatchets forge me, And a bunch of keys enormous, From the stone the moon to rescue, From the rock the sun deliver."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen, He the great primeval craftsman, 310 Forged the hero what he needed, And a dozen hatchets forged him, Forged a bunch of keys enormous, And of spears a mighty bundle, Not too large and not too little, But of middle size he forged them.

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Old and gap-toothed dame of Pohja, Then with wings herself provided, And extended them for flying, 320 Near the house at first was flying, Then her flight extended further, Straight across the lake of Pohja Unto Ilmarinen's smithy.

Then the smith his window opened, Looking if the wind was blowing; 'Twas no wind that there was blowing, But a hawk, and grey in colour.

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Spoke aloud the words that follow: 330 "Bird of prey, what brings thee hither, Sitting underneath my window?"

Hereupon the bird spoke language, And the hawk at once made answer: "O thou smith, O Ilmarinen, Thou the most industrious craftsman, Truly art thou very skilful, And a most accomplished craftsman."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Answered in the words that follow: 340 "But indeed 'tis not a wonder If I am a skilful craftsman, For 'twas I who forged the heavens, And the arch of air who welded."

Hereupon the bird spoke language, And the hawk at once responded: "What is this, O smith, thou makest, What, O blacksmith, art thou forging?"

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Answered in the words that follow: 350 "'Tis a neck-ring I am forging, For the aged crone of Pohja, That she may be firmly fettered To the side of a great mountain."

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Old and gap-toothed dame of Pohja, Felt on this her doom was coming, On her head the days of evil, And at once to flight betook her, Swift to Pohjola escaping. 360

From the stone the moon released she, From the rock the sun released she, Then again her form she altered, And to dove herself converted, And her flight again directed Unto Ilmarinen's smithy, To the door in bird-form flying, Lit as dove upon the threshold.

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Asked her in the words which follow: 370 "Why, O bird, hast thou flown hither?

Dove, why sit'st thou on the threshold?"

From the door the wild bird answered, And the dove spoke from the threshold: "Here I sit upon the threshold, That the news I now may bring thee.

From the stone the moon has risen, From the rock the sun is loosened."

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen Hastened forth to gaze around him, 380 And he stood at door of smithy, Gazing anxiously to heaven, And he saw the moon was gleaming, And he saw the sun was s.h.i.+ning.

Then he went to Vainamoinen, And he spoke the words which follow: "O thou aged Vainamoinen, Thou the great primeval minstrel, Come to gaze upon the moonlight, Come to gaze upon the sunlight. 390 Now they stand in midst of heaven, In their old accustomed places."

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Hurried out into the open, And at once his head uplifted, And he gazed aloft to heaven.

Moon was risen, sun was loosened, In the sky the sun was beaming.

Then the aged Vainamoinen Made a speech without delaying, 400 And he spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed him: "Hail, O Moon, who beamest yonder, Thus thy fair cheeks well displaying, Golden sun who risest yonder, Sun who once again arisest!

"Golden Moon from stone delivered, Fairest Sun from rock arisen, Like the golden cuckoo rise you, Like the silver dove arise you, 410 Lead the life ye led aforetime, And resume your former journeys.

"Rise for ever in the morning, From this present day hereafter.

Bring us always happy greetings, That our wealth increases ever, Game for ever in our fingers, Fortune at the points of fish-hooks.

"Go ye on your path with blessings, Go ye on your charming journey, 420 Let your crescent now be beauteous, Rest ye joyful in the evening."

RUNO L.--MARJATTA

_Argument_

The virgin Marjatta swallows a cranberry and brings forth a boy (1-346).

The child disappears and is found after a long search in a swamp (347-430). He is taken to an old man to be baptized, but the latter will not baptize the fatherless child until after due consideration (431-440). Vainamoinen comes to inquire into the matter, and advises that the ill-omened boy should be put to death, but the child reproaches him for his unjust sentence (441-474). The old man baptizes the boy as King of Carelia, at which Vainamoinen is grievously offended and leaves the country, but first declares that he will again make a new Sampo and kantele, and light for the people. He sails away in a copper boat to a land between earth and heaven, but he leaves behind his kantele and his great songs as a parting gift to his people (475-512). Concluding verses (513-620).